1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to remote vehicle control, and more particularly to a system and method for selectively controlling one or more vehicle security systems.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Car dealerships typically have tens or hundreds of cars in inventory at any given time. Protecting the inventory typically involves installing a security system in each vehicle.
Vehicles that include a security system prior to a consumer sale are called pre-load vehicles. The pre-load lot security systems typically use a set of transmitters or control devices having a shared controller identification. The security systems are assigned a shared Security Identification Code (SIC), wherein any of the control devices can be used to control any of the security systems. The transmission range of the control devices is reduced so that only vehicles in a close proximity, e.g., within 5 feet, are responsive. However, even with a reduced range, a control device can operate more than one vehicle within the reduced range. Further, the reduced range does not guarantee that if a security system is unintentionally disarmed that it will later be armed by the control device.
Typically, for lot security systems, every vehicle on the lot is programmed with the same SIC. This enables multiple users, each using a RF control device, to access all the pre-load vehicles on the lot. Access to multiple vehicles simultaneously is partially controlled by limiting the broadcast range of the RF control device. Thus, only a small number of vehicles respond when a command is sent from the RF control device.
The existence of the control device is a vulnerability of the lot security systems, wherein a thief having obtained the control device can control each vehicle in the dealer inventory.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method for selectively controlling one or more security system.